The present invention relates to an air current deflector shield and bug screen clip and especially to a clip which can be slid onto an air current deflector shield supporting channel for snapping a bug screen thereonto.
Insect screens have generally been designed to cover the grille area of automobiles and trucks and have been made in various shapes for some time. The purpose of these screens have been to stop insects and debris from entering the grille and interfering with the operation of the radiator. Insect bodies and parts can disrupt the air flow through the radiator and result in a condition of overheating. In addition, insects and debris mar and wear the front surfaces of vehicles and can make the vehicle unsightly.
Air deflector shields are usually mounted onto vehicle hoods directly above the radiator grille and have been employed for the purpose of changing the air flow pattern over the hood of a moving vehicle and thus protecting the windshield from insects and debris. The effectiveness of such apparatus has been proven and deflection shields have been in use for some years, especially in areas where flying insects pose a problem during certain seasons of the year. Because both the hood mounted air deflector shield and the grille covering insect screen are concerned with reducing the effects of insects encountered while driving, a more conveniently mounted combination of the two devices is in a desirable arrangement. Several prior U.S. patents have such combinations and this includes to Ziegler U.S. Pat. No. 4,236,592 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,815,700; 3, 831,696; and 3,853,728 which disclose means by which the radiator and windshield of a moving vehicle may be protected from insects and debris. A perforated screen is mounted directly in front of the radiator grille and has an upper portion made of unperforated material extending above the hood line to deflect air along with insects and debris upward and away from the windshield. Mounting provisions in three of these patents are similar in that the screens depend upon elastic or adjustable cords to secure them to points within the front wheel well with the visual effect being one of impermanence. In addition, the cords extend over painted areas and, in general, provide a less than pleasing appearance. U.S. Pat. No. 2,868,308 discloses a similar screen and deflector combination with provisions for mounting in an inclined position in front of the radiator grille of a vehicle such that radiator and windshield are protected. In U.S. Pat. No. 2,246,823 an apparatus has both a screen for keeping insects from entering the radiator of a vehicle and an adjustable nonperforated curtain to selectively limit air flow through the radiator and thereby control the operating temperature of the vehicle engine. This particular invention makes no provision for the protection of a vehicle from airborne insects in that the screen is mounted between the grille and the radiator. In the to Daniels et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,657, a truck deflector shield is illustrated in which the shield portion has a mounting channel which is bolted to the front of the vehicle. The Geisendorfer patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,364,596, is for a vehicle protective deflector having visual enhancement and illuminating means.
A series of air current deflector shields for vehicles can been seen in Thornburgh, U.S. Pat. No. 3,015,517, for an air current deflector shield having a polymer shield mounted to a supporting channel which is threadedly bolted to the underside of the front of the hood of the vehicle. In the Redmond patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,143,129, an air current deflector shield similarly has a polymer deflector shield attached to a supporting channel which is bolted to the underside of the hood. The Williams et al patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,518,191, is for an air current deflector shield and bracket combination using a different bracket combination for holding the shield and attaching to the vehicle. Finally, the Gerst patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,621,860, is for a combination wind deflector and bug screen having a clip portion for use in connection with the deflector shield supporting bracket which allows the attaching of the screen to eyelets connected to clips.
In contrast to these prior inventions, the present application is for a molded polymer clip which can be slid onto the supporting channels for deflector shields and has molded polymer snap portions formed on the front thereof and are shaped to interact with the support channels to provide sufficient strength and rigidity for snapping bug screen snap portions thereonto for holding the top side of the bug screens.